Should Kids Wear Contacts?

In this Article

At first glance, the words "contacts" and "children" may not seem like they belong in the same sentence. In reality, they’re often a perfect match. That being said, the kid in question is usually a teenager. And whether contacts are a good idea depends on how mature and responsible she is.

Contact Benefits

They can help your kid:

See better: Rigid gas permeable lenses may offer better vision than her glasses. And contacts let you see what’s to the side of you (the eye doctor will call this peripheral vision).

Feel better: Glasses go in and out of style, but some kids just don’t want to wear them school. Especially if they have super-thick lenses. They do stand out and they could make your kid a target for teasing. The self-esteem boost that comes with a pair of contacts could lead to better school performance and more friendships.

To use hypoallergenic skin products and cosmetics or those marked "for contact lens wearers" or "for sensitive eyes"

Which Lenses Are Best?

Ask your doctor. If he prescribes disposable soft lenses, consider daily disposable soft lenses rather than the cheaper disposables that are worn for 2 weeks and then thrown out. Care is simpler: She won’t have to disinfect and clean dailies. She’ll learn how to put them in and take them out much faster if she has to change them every day.

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What About Decorative Lenses?

This question comes up every year around Halloween. If an eye doctor prescribes them, they can be safe as well as fun. (Keep in mind, though, that they don’t correct vision.)

But problems come up when you don’t get them fitted by a professional. The lenses you find at places like beauty stores, flea markets, and costume stores are far lower quality than fitted ones. The FDA strongly warns that anyone who uses them is at high risk for eye infection, injury, vision loss, even blindness. Don’t let your child take this kind of chance.